Polysemy in English

All of us, one way or another, teach English. Someone higher level, someone lower. But everything try to choose the most suitable method to improve their knowledge. To put in a nutshell, our goal is to fill up your vocabulary and correctly use it in a speech. The question is how this stock to replenish. Who works well visual memory, the easier it is to visualize in your mind to study the Word. To some two hundred times easier to write the word in order to remember it. These people have a well-functioning motor memory. Some of the best times to hear some new word or expression that it was postponed in their memory. That is, the method of learning a new language depends exclusively on man and his abilities.

Suppose we choose the right option and we have started cramming new words. A week, a second, trying with might and main, and a month later realize that nothing really do not remember. What is the reason? The answer to this question is composed of two parts. Firstly, the method of learning new words is imperfect. Secondly, English is not the only one of its kind, is the owner of a multi-valued vocabulary. These two reasons are interrelated and explore why they should be together.

What is polysemy in English?

As we just mentioned, the vocabulary in English meanings. That is, this language has polysemy. «Ambiguity» and «polysemy» in the English language are the two absolutely identical terms, which denote that the words of the English language, there are two or more interrelated and historically conditioned values. It turns out one word and can be called a lot of things, events, etc. Remember bilingual English-Russian and Russian-English dictionaries. Have you ever wondered that any word can be so much value that their description does not take a single column, and sometimes even a few pages? You never reread the complete dictionary entry for the word, hoping to select a word, it is appropriate in the context of necessary you? For example, take the word band, and look, and there …:

Tapes, tape;

A unit group;

Pack, a gang;

Disc chromosome, etc.

Or better yet, the situation is with verbs. Here, for example break. The list of its values ​​is simply amazing:

Breaking, tearing;

Violate, weaken;

Train, train;

Terminate, reduce in rank, etc.

That is and is polysemy in English. A certain number of words and concepts that they called ten times more. And it turns out that one word in different spheres will be called different things. Can you imagine what the translators? They not only need to know clearly the context in which is used a particular word, but also be aware of not one, but multiple values ​​for each word to choose the desired option. For example, the desire to fulfill — fulfill a dream, follow the rules — abide by rules, the obligation — accomplish, to do the job — put through, the promise — keep a promise. In turn, any of these verbs would have even more value: fulfill — to meet; abide — to endure, endure; accomplish — to draw, reach; put through — connect the phone; keep — keep, store, manage, etc.

Polysemy in English becomes the reason that we can not choose the appropriate method of memorizing words. Learn the words to it one or two values, and when we meet this word in a very different context, we understand that to translate it and we can not, because they do not grasp what it was about. So I would recommend to fill up their vocabulary as follows: Learn English words in isolation, but always in context. Let it be phrases or even whole sentences, sanctifies a certain value an ambiguous word. Try to remember more than one meaning, and few, if any, of course. And do not forget about the management: all kinds of excuses, or lack thereof, a supplement that follows the word and cause it grammatically correct use. That is, the verb «wait» should remember not just as a «wait», but as «wait for somebody / something», as this verb is used only in this way.

Polysemy in English may create difficulties, but if you stick to these requests, we can not just memorize words, and the whole expression, without wasting time in vain.

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